Oven cleaning article



1952 A. D. VBRITE 3,051,559

OVEN CLEANING ARTICLE Filed March 23, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 28,1962 A. D. BRlTE OVEN CLEANING ARTICLE 2 Sheets-Sheefil 2 Filed March23, 1959 INVENTOR'R. ALA/V .0. BP/T 3,051,559 OVEN CLEANING ARTICLE AlanI). Brite, 335 S. liently, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Mar. 23, 1959, Ser.No. 801,355 8 Claims. c1. 23-282) This invention relates to the art ofcleaning and has particular reference to a process and article forcleaning grease and food stained surfaces such as those found inhousehold cooking ovens.

One of the most difficult and poorly performed tasks which faces themodern housewife is that of cleaning the soiled interior surfaces of theoven. Many preparations have been devised and sold specifically forpurpose, but all those that are effective to any degree in removing thefood and grease stains contain caustic or other corrosive chemicalswhich are difficult and even dangerous to "apply. A primary object ofthe present inveution is to provide a novel process and article forcleaning the interior surfaces'of ovens or the like, which are notsubject to the above and other disadvantages of the methods andmaterials heretofore proposed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel articlefor cleaning ovens -and the like, which is non-corrosive, non-toxic, andnon-inflammable, yet which is highly effective in use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention it is believed will bereadily apparent from the following detailed description of preferredembodiments thereof when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the article of thepresent invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating the article in place in anoven and ready for use.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view of the article.

FIGURE 3a is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3a-3a ofFIGURE 3.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention. FIGURE5 is a bottom plan view thereof. FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional viewillustrating the manner of use of the article of FIGURES 4 and 5.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred form of the article of thepresent invention is generally indicated 10, including a generallycylindrical container 11 which may be of metal or formed ofresindmpregnated cardboard having a metal bottom 12 and top 13, the topbeing provided with a central opening and a closure 14. Positionedwithin the container is a cone-shaped cup member 15 formed ofresin-impregnated paper or other material suitably treated to render itresistant to cold water. The cup member 15 is open at the top and isprovided with a pair of relatively small openings adjacent the bottom orapex thereof, the openings being.

covered with a plug or layer of a low-melting material such as paraflinwaxor the like. The top of the cup member extends just short of theunderside of the container top 13 and the apex of the cupmember ispositioned .on the container bottom .12. Stiifeners or ribs 27 ofcardboard or the like are positioned inside the cup member, the topedges 28 thereof extending just short of the upper edge of the cupmember and the lower edges 29 of the ribs terminating above the openings20.

A chemical mixture 30 is contained in the volume of the containerbetween the. outer surf-ace of the cup member and the inner surfaces ofthe container side wall and bottom. The mixture 30 comprises calciumoxide in lump form and an ammonium salt such as the chloride, sulfate,nitrate,.carbonate, etc, in granular or powder form. Preferably themixture 36 comprises about 400 FIGURE 2. The oven should be cold andtherefore if, of the type having a pilot light, the oven door should beleft open for almost an'hour prior to use of the articleof thisinvention.

After placing the article 10 in the oven, the oven door is closed. Thehot water in the cup member melts the wax plug 25,"permitting the waterto slowly seep into contact with the ammonium chloride and calcium oxidemixture. Since the bulk of the ammonium chloride is positioned in thelower portion of the container it is first contacted by the water,causing it to dissolve readily. The water progressively moves upwardlythrough the mixture, contacting the calcium oxide with the usualexothermic reaction, forming steam. Simultaneously,

ammonia gas is liberated from the ammonium chloride.

. The steam tends to soften the upper portion of the cup member andcause it to collapse inwardly as indicated by the phantom lines ofFIGURE 3.

The mixture of ammonia gas and steam thus formed rises out of thecontainer opening into the oven and contacts the cold walls thereof,condensing the steam and depositing the ammonia thereon in the form ofammonium hydroxide which exerts its cleaning and dissolving action onthe grease and other foreign matter on the oven walls. The reaction iscompleted in 10-15 minutes and after this period of time the oven doormay be opened and the container removed. The oven wall surfaces are theneasily wiped clean with a wet cloth or sponge.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIG URES 4, 5 and 6.As shown, the modified article comprises a container 61, preferably ofmetal, having a cylindrical side wall 62, a bottom wall 63 and a topclosure 64. The top closure is provided with a plurality of smallopenings 65 covered by a removable cover 66 of pres- 1 sure-sensitiveadhesive tape or the like. The bottom wall 63 is provided with a singlecentral aperture 68, and a similar cover 68a. An indicator mark 69 isprovided on the outer surface of the side wall 62.

Resting on the upper surface of the bottom wall 63 is a square sheet 70of paper or like material, the diagonal dimension thereof beingapproximately equal to the inside diameter ofthe cylindrical wall 62.Overlying the sheet 70 and bottom wall 63 is 'a layer 72 of paraffin waxor other low melting material. The chemical mixture 30a, of the samecomposition as the mixture 30 described above, fills substantially allof the container above the paraflin layer 72.

In use of the article of FIGURES 4-6, it is placed in a pan 8% or othersuitable container and the pan filled with cold water to the indicatormark 69. The article is then removed from the pan and the water heatedto a boil. The pan and its contained hot water is then placed in thecold oven, the covers 66 and 68a are removed from the container top andbottom walls and the article is placed in the pan of hot water. The hotwater raises the temperature of the container 61 sufficiently to meltthe wax, permitting the Water to seep into the container through theaperture 68, under the sheet 70 and thence into contact with, themixture 36a with the resultant formation of ammonia gas and PatentedAug. 28, .1962

aoersea 3 steam in the same manner and with the same results asdescribed above. It will be seen that the sheet 70 functions as a valveto permit only a relatively slow inflow of water, the outflow of steamand ammonia gas being controlled by the size and number of openings 65.

It is to be understood that the specific proportions of calcium oxideand ammonium salt recited above are not critical and that theproportions may be varied within rather wide limits, so long assuflicient calcium oxide is present to react with the ammonium salt andform the ammonia and steam.

From the above description it will be understood that a novel and highlyeffective article and process for cleaning ovens and the like has beenprovided by the present invention. The article is highly effective inuse, yet eliminates the disadvantages inherent in the use ofconventional cleaning compositions. It will further be understood that asubsidiary, yet important feature of the invention resides in providingthe calcium oxide in lump form and the ammonium salt in finer particlesize form so that the latter gravitates to the bottom of the container.This, combined with the structure whereby the water is admitted into thebottom of the container so that it first contacts the ammonium saltrather than the calcium oxide, permits most eflicient dissolving of theammonium salt and utilization of the steam produced by the slaking ofthe calcium oxide.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be un- I derstood that Ido not wish to be limited to the details set forth, but my invention isof the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture for cleaning ovens and the like, a smalldisposable container adapted to be bodily inserted into a household ovenor like apparatus and to be thrown away after use, said container havingan opening in its top portion, a removable closure member for saidopening, a partition of fibrous material in said container forming a cupportion in said container having an opening at its top at least as largeas the opening in the top of said container and in registry therewithwhereby water can be poured into said cup portion when said closure isremoved, said partition being at least partially spaced from the bottomof said container so as to provide a compartment separated from theinterior of said cup portion, a supply of steam and ammoniageneratingmaterial disposed in said compartment and positioned to be contacted bywater poured into said cup portion, said partition having means forslowly passing water through its wall at the bottom of the cup portioninto said compartment and said partition including a portion operable bypressure generated in said compartment to release gases and steam fromsaid compartment and out of the opening in the top of said container.

2. The article defined in claim 1 wherein said partition is formed by acup member having an open top terminating just below the container top,the top of said cup member and the walls of the container being inunsealed relation to permit discharge of gas and steam from-saidcompartment around the top of. said cup member and out of the containeropening, and wherein said steam and ammonia-generating materialcomprises calcium oxide and an ammonium salt.

3. As an article of manufacture for cleaning ovens and the like, asmall, disposable container adapted to be .bodily inserted into ahousehold oven or like apparatus,

said container having walls and an opening in one wall thereof, aremovable closure member for said opening, a supply of steam andammonia-generating material disposed'in said container, means operablyassociated with said container for slowly admitting liquid to at least aportion of said steam and ammonia-generating material, whereby ammoniagas and steam are generated, and means, including said walls', operablyassociated with said container for discharging said gas and steamthrough said opening.

4. As an article of manufacture for cleaning ovens and the like, asmall, disposable container adapted to be bodily inserted into ahousehold oven or like apparatus, said container having walls and anopening in one wall thereof, a removable closure member for saidopening, a fluid permeable member disposed in said container, said fluidpermeable member being so disposed that a compartment separated from theremainder of the interior of the container is formed, said opening beingin registry with the interior of the container, a supply of steam andammonia-generating material disposed in said container, said fluidpermeable member being adapted to permit the passage of liquid into saidcompartment whereby steam and ammonia may be generated, and means,including said walls, operably associated with said container fordischarging said ammonia and steam through said opening.

5. The article of claim 3 wherein the steam and ammonia-generatingmaterial comprises calcium oxide an an ammonium salt.

6. The article of claim 5 wherein said ammonium salt is ammoniumchloride and wherein said container is generally cylindrical and saidmeans for slowly admitting liquid comprises a cup member which isgenerally conical in shape, the apex of said cone being located towardthe bottom of said container and being provided with a small opening forslowly passing water therethrough, said small opening being closed bymeans of a low-melting material.

7. The article as defined in claim 5 wherein the calcium oxide is inlump form and the ammonium salt is in the form of relatively smallerparticle sizes, whereby said ammonium salt particles gravitate towardthe bottom of said container with the main portion of said calcium oxidelumps being above said ammonium salt, and wherein the liquid admittingmeans is so positioned as to cause the Water to first contact theammonium salt.

8. The article as defined in claim 4 wherein the steam andammonia-generating material comprises calcium oxide and an ammoniumsalt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS RE.8,812 Brown et al July 15, 1879 90,644 Dunderdale June 1, 1869 181,268Kayser Aug. 22, 1876 382,322 Parsons May 8, 1888 709,846 Young Sept. 23,1902 1,170,953 Banks Feb. 8, 1916 1,315,268 Wise Sept. 9, 1919 1,342,148Armstrong June 1, 1920 1,962,150 Mohler June 12, 1934 2,008,489 CousinsJuly 16, 1935 2,166,277 Adams July 18, 1939 2,317,647 Petering Mar. 20,1945 2,409,402 Thompson Oct. 15, 1946 2,463,862 Gibaldo Mar. 8, 1949FOREIGN PATENTS 853,664 France Dec. 7, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES Ephraim:Inorganic Chemistry, Sixth English Edition, Oliver and Boyd, London,1954. Page 637.

1. AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE FOR CLEANING OVENS AND THE LIKE, A SMALL DISPOSABLE CONTAINER ADAPTED TO BE BODILY ISERTED INTO A HOUSEHOLD OVER OVEN OR LIKE APPARATUS AND TO BE THROWN AWAY AFTER USE, SAID CONTAINER HAVING AN OPENING IN ITS TOP PORTION, A REMOVABLE CLOSURE MEMBER FOR SAID OPENING, A PARTITION OF FLBOUS MATERIAL IN SAID CONTAINER FORMING A CUP PORTION IN SAID CONTAINER HAVING AN OPENING AT ITS TOP AT LEAST AS LARGE AS THE OPENING IN THE TOP OF SAID CONTAINER AND IN REGISTRY THEREWITH WHEREBY WATER CAN BE POURED INTO SAID CUP PORTION WHEN SAID CLOSURE IS REMOVED, SAID PARTITION BEING AT LEAST PARTIALY SPACED FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID CONTAINER SO AS TO PROVIDE A COMPARTMENT SEPARATED FROM THE INTERIOR OF SAID CUPS PORTION,A SUPPLY OF STEAM AND AMMONIAGENERATING MATERIAL DISPOSED IN SAID COMPARTMENT AND POSITIONED TO BE CONTACTED BY WATER POURED INTO SAID CUP PORTION, SAID PARTION HAVING MEANS FOR SLOWLY PASSING WATER THROUGH ITS WALL AT THE BOTTON OF THE CUP PORTION INTO SAID COMPARMENT: AND SAID PARTITION INCLUDING A PORTION OPERABLE BY PRESSURE GENERATED IN SAID COMPARTMENT TO RELEASE GASES AND STEAM FROM SAID COMPARTMENT AND OUR OF THE OPENING IN THE TOP OF SAID CONTAINER. 